The present invention relates to a method for using processing information recorded on a photographic film and to an apparatus for processing the processing information.
There has been known a photographic system wherein information relating to photographing such as a date of photographing, weather, exposure conditions including the hour and indoor/outdoor photographing, and whether a strobe is used or not are recorded through an optical means, and then the developing and printing processes are carried out based on the information mentioned above in the course of photofinishing.
On the other hand, International Publication No. WO 90/04215 (date; Apr. 19, 1990), Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection Nos. 287160/1991 and 124665/1992 (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) disclose a method wherein customer information such as an address and a name of a customer who requests photofinishing, a date and a place of purchasing and sizes and the number of prints as well as information of processing conditions are recorded on a photographic film or a cartridge through an optical means or a magnetic means so that the information may be utilized for a market survey of photographic films and an investigation of distribution conditions.
In the course of printing, however, when printing with intentional correction of color balance or the like, for example, without using processing conditions based on photographing information recorded on a film, it is impossible to record the corrected processing information on the film. When making extra prints, therefore, there is a fear that photographic prints differing in image tone are made undesirably.
Further, the invention relates to an image printing apparatus wherein an image photographed on a photographic film is printed on a photographic paper.
For example, there is available an image printing apparatus wherein an area photographed through a camera or the like being designated as an image range to be printed is printed to be the size of ordinary photographing, thereby offering the same effect as that of changing magnification under the condition that a camera lens is not changed. In the case of the above-mentioned printing, efficient printing process can be attained when information necessary for printing are recorded on a photographic film in the course of photographing, the photographic film is developed and photographed images on the photographic film are printed on photographic papers based on additional information.
Though additional information are recorded on a photographic film for the purpose of efficient printing process, some of additional information are not necessarily needed for prints ordered or some of them contain conditions which need to be changed. Therefore, it is necessary, to avoid poor service to customers, to make prints complying with customers' request, without using additional information recorded on a photographic film.